The Minnesota IndependentJuly 6, 2009After years of study and debate, thousands of leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will gather in Minneapolis this August for a vote on whether to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Lutherans. LGBT Lutherans are anxiously awaiting the outcome, which could pave the way for gay and lesbian pastors, bring same-sex commitment ceremonies to local congregations and impact policy in a state with a large number of Lutheran elected officials. [Link]

Alan Franken is an American entertainer-turned-politician. In 2008, Franken ran as the Democratice-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for U.S. Senate from Minnesota. On June 30, 2009, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Franken's victory, and stated that he was entitled to be certified as the election winner. Hours later, former Republican Senator, Norm Coleman, conceded the race.

Franken has worked as a comedian, writer and liberal political commentator. He has also been a longtime champion for gay rights. In fact, in 2005 a blogger, wrote about a speech Franken delivered: “Franken first talked about gay marriage. He portrayed it as a basic issue of civil rights, invoking miscengenation.”

Freedom to Marry salutes Al Franken - a Voice for Equality as far back as 2005 - and now one of 14 marriage equality supporters in the U.S. Senate.

Duluth News TribuneMay 12, 2009The city of Duluth will begin offering domestic partnership certificates after a 5-to-3 City Council vote Monday night. Councilor Jeff Anderson proposed that the city offer the certificates, saying it would be easier for couples to get benefits from employers that provide them to domestic partners. He noted that the city of Minneapolis has offered a similar program for several years. [link]

Minneapolis Star TribuneApril 25, 2009States from Maine to California look to be the next battlegrounds in a legal fight that is leapfrogging the country. In Minnesota, the two sides are stalemated for now, but the debate promises to be part of each legislative session for years to come. [Link]

MinnPostFebruary 11, 2009Everywhere you go at the state Capitol these days the talk is of the budget, the economic crisis and then the budget again. So when Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, speaks at a "Freedom to Marry Day Rally" Thursday afternoon, he's going to put the subject of same-sex marriage into economic terms. [Link]

The Minnesota IndependentJanuary 14, 2009An interview with Doug Benson, founder of a group called Marry Me Minnesota, which is helping organize a lawsuit to be filed by as many as 10 gay couples against the state of Minnesota for denying them the freedom to marry. [Link]

The Twin City Daily LiberalOctober 9, 2008As a Jew married to a Lutheran, I can’t help but think: what if someone had decided to define marriage as only between two people of the same religion? Certainly, there are plenty of Jews out there who want their children to marry within the religion. For that matter, what’s to stop the state of Minnesota from passing a constitutional amendment that would dissolve my marriage? We are on a slippery slope when we vote to rescind other people’s rights. I cherish the rights and freedoms I have, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to have someone take them away from me. [Link]Read more from non-gay allies.

Lavendar MagazineMarch 21, 2008Just about every Minnesota family is feeling the uncertainty of today’s economy. Unemployment rose throughout the state late last year, and home foreclosures in the Twin Cities are at an all-time high. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Minnesota’s 12-month job growth was the third worst in the country in December. For about one out of five Minnesota households, a sluggish economy just adds to the financial uncertainty they face every day. In an economic downturn, plans for savings and financial stability take on a whole new meaning for the nearly 20 percent of Minnesota households that are led by same-sex couples. [link]